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Dr Howard Martin, of Penmaenmawr made the denial at an inquest into the death of pensioner William Kerr, whose body was exhumed as part of a murder probe into the GP two years ago.

An open verdict was yesterday recorded at the inquest in Chester-le-Street into 84-year-old Mr Kerr’s death after the hearing was told the body was too decomposed to determine the cause.

Dr Martin, a GP in County Durham at the time, told the inquest: “I care very much about my patients and the treatment was solely to alleviate his pain and distress.

“At no time did I have any intention of hastening or causing his death.”

The doctor had been charged with the murder of three other patients and stood trial in December 2005 where he was cleared by a jury of giving them fatal morphine overdoses.

Yesterday, Dr Martin, 73, told how he had classed Mr Kerr, a cancer sufferer, as a friend as well as a patient.

He said: “He preferred that I cared for him personally rather than hand him over to strangers.

“Anticipating his imminent death I prayed with him the night before.

“I accept that my treatment methods may be considered old fashioned but I am getting on in years and set in my ways.”

A post mortem examination subsequently concluded that death was “unascertained”.

The death of 84-year-old Mr Kerr formed part of the police investigation into Howard Martin but was never the subject of any criminal charges.

Dr Martin, a former Army medic and police doctor, read from a statement he had given to police during the 2005 investigation but did not add any other details.

He told the inquest how Mr Kerr was a “proud, religious man who did not like to visit doctors but put his faith in God”.

The inquest heard how Mr Kerr, of Newton Aycliffe, had lost two stone through cancer and his condition was deteriorating when Dr Martin was contacted by relatives.

He told how he prescribed a morphine-based drug combination, known as a Brompton cocktail, to relieve his pain but stressed that he never intended the dose to be fatal.

Durham coroner Andrew Tweddle said he could not be certain what caused Mr Kerr’s death and recorded an open verdict.

The coroner said: “By the time the post mortem was carried out Mr Kerr had been interred for two years or so and the body had decomposed to an extent that made it difficult for the Home Office pathologist to carry out his task.

“I have doubts in my mind to what the formal cause of death was and the appropriate verdict is one of open.”

Mr Tweddle stressed that the inquest was not aimed at pointing the finger of blame at anyone.

He added: “This is an inquiry into the circumstances of Mr Kerr’s death and is in no way designed to make any suggestion of criminal or civil liability on the part of anyone, not least of all Dr Martin.”

Dr Martin left the hearing with his legal team and refused to comment on the verdict before being driven off in a taxi.